Toy



May 5, 1931. J. B. MODONOUGHJJR TOY Filed Sept. 28. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheetl w/m ag mu ivz INVENTOR ,a/zfim ATTORNEYS May 5, 1931.

J. B. M DONOUGH. JR

led Sept. 28. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR James BJVFDorroag/v JPatented May 5, 1931 JAME$ B. MGDONOUGI-LJ 1%., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

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Application filed September 28, 1929. Serial No. 395,773.

This invention relates to toys, and pertains more particularly to aflying toy of the hel copter type. 7

It is an object of the invention to provide 5 a flying toy, which whenactuated by the operator will ascend to a certain elevation d6.-

pending upon the quantity of energy sup plied. It is afurther object toprovide a parachute which may be secured to the ele- 10 vating meansduring upward flight, but which may be released when said meansis at ornear the top of its'flig'ht.

Other objects and advantages of the vention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes ofillustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure lis a top plan View of the toy assembled and ready for operation.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the propelle with parachute removed.

Figure 3 Figure 1. I

Figure 4 is a section on the .line 4-4; of Figure 1. v

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the assembly shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the propeller shown in Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the parachute as it appears whendescending.

Referring to the drawings, the toy comprises a propeller having a pairof blades 1 and 2 secured together, but mounted to permit longitudinal.sliding movement therebetween. Preferably the blades are made of sheetmetal and the inner ends thereof overlap as illustrated in Figures 3 and4 and are 4} preferably formed integrally with the blade is a section onthe line 3-3 of held together by members 3 and 4 which are a and 7 limitthe extent to which the blades may be collapsed.

The parachute 8.,during upward flight of the toy, is housed within thecap 9 and is secured thereto by a plurality of strings 1O which arepreferably rather short, in order to preventtangling. The cap 9 may beconveniently secured to the blades by means of lugs 11 and 12, lug llbeing part of bladel and lug 12 being part of'blade 2. As will be obcgserved, lug 11 projects upwardly through an aperture 13 in bladeQ.

The actuating mechanism for the toypreferably 'comprises'a spool 14:rotatably mounted on a handle 15 and adaptedto receive a string by meanof which the spool may be spun. On the upper side of the spool are apair of pins 16 which are arranged to be received in apertures 17 in theblades.

-In operation, the blades are placed on the spoolwith the apertures 17fitting over pins 7 16, the springs 5 being stretched sufficientlv forthis purpose. As will be observed, this brings the lugs11 and 12sufficiently closely together topermit them to engage the edges of'thecap 8, which is slipped into place with the parachute folded inside asillustrated in Figures 3 and 4-.

The spool is then wound and spun, and as the increasing speed ofrotation of the blades produces gradually increasing lifting effort, apoint is eventually reached where the blades free themselves from thepins and fiy upwardly. At the'same time the centrifugal force of therotating blades is sufficient to expand the blades against the pull ofthe springs 5 so that'the cap 8 is retained in place; Gradually,however, as the energy of the blades is expended and speed of rotationis reduced, centrifugal force is reduced, and the blades graduallycontract, eventually permitting the cap8 to be released. As will beunderstood, by adjusting the tension of the springs 5, the cap 8 may bereleased at anydesired pointin flight. o:

Ifdesired, the cap and parachute may be connected to the blades by aflexible connection such. as a string or chain, so that the entireassembly may be permitted to descend slowly together, but preferably nosuch co-nnection is provided, the blades being permitted to drop freelyand separately from the parachute.

It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified andembodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A flying toy comprising, in combination, a pair of blades slidablymounted one upon the other, a parachute, a housing for said parachute,and means controlled by relative movement of said blades to detachablysecure said parachute and housing to said blades.

2. A flying toy comprising, in combination, a pair of blades slidablymounted one upon the other, resilient means to urge said blades tocontracted position, a parachute, a housing for said parac lute, andmeans to detachably secure said parachute and housing to said blades.

A flying toy comprising, in combination, a pair of blades slidablymounted one upon the other, a parachute, and means for holding saidparachute on said blades in one position thereof, but for releasing saidparachute when said blades assume a different relative position.

4:. A flying toy comprising, in combination, a pair of blades havingoverlapping ends longitudinally movable one upon the other, and adaptedto expand under influence of centrifugal force, and resilient means tourge said blades to contracted position.

5. A flying toy comprising, in combination, a pair of blades havingoverlapping ends longitudinally movable one upon the other, and adaptedto expand under influence of centrifugal force, resilient means to urgesaid blades to contracted position, a parachute, and means whereby thesaid expansion of said blades holds said parachute thereon.

6. A flying toy comprising, in combination, a rotating member, aparachute, and means operated by centrifugal force created by rotationof said member for securing said parachute to said member.

7. A flying toycomprising, in combination, a rotating member, aparachute secured thereto by means operated by cent-rifugal forcecreated by rotation of said member, and means for automaticallyreleasing said parachute as the speed of rotation of said memberdecreases.

8. A flying toy comprising, in combination, a rotating member, aparachute, a housing therefor, and means operated by centrifugal forcecreated by rotation of said member for securing said housing andparachute to said member.

9. A flying toy comprising, in combination, a rotating member, aparachute, a housing therefor, means operated by centrifugal forcecreated by rotation of said member for securing said housing andparachute to said member, and means for releasing said housing andparachute as the speed of rotation of said member decreases.

10. A. flying toy comprising, in combination, relatively movable liftingblades, a parachute and means operated by relative movement of saidblades to release said parachute.

11. A flying toy comprising, in combination, a rotary lifting member, aparachute separable from said member, means for curing said parachute tosaid member and mechanism for imparting rotation to said member and forholding said securing means in operative position.

12. A flying toy comprising, in combination, a rotary lifting memberincluding relatively movable blades, a parachute separable from saidmember, means operated by relative movement of said blades to oneposition to secure said parachute thereto and operated by relativemovement of said blades to another position to release said parachutetherefrom and starting mechanism for in:- parting rotation to saidblades including means for holding said blades in parachute securingposition.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this26th day of September, 1929.

JAMES B. MCDONOUGH, Jn.

